The Temple in Our Minds
by paynesgrey
Summary: In one of there Force-bond sessions, Rey invites Kylo Ren to a safe space and reveals that she still has hope for him. With Rey's continued influence through their connection, he reconsiders his future as Supreme Leader as others conspire against him.
1. The Temple of Our Minds

AN: Written for the "mind control/possession" square for my hc-bingo card. 1 of a 3 part story. Post TLJ.

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The Temple in Our Minds

As Supreme Leader, Kylo Ren did not foresee Snoke's indulgences to carry over to his reign, though General Hux had taken some enjoyment in continuing this legacy much to Kylo Ren's discomfort. In particular, Hux assumed Kylo Ren would benefit from Snoke's fondness for slave girls to lavish in his own dark desires and needs.

Kylo Ren had no such preferences, and actually abhorred the idea. When his general presented Snoke's usual girls, a blue Twi'lek adolescent and sickly looking albino human, Kylo Ren hand waved them away, feeling sick at the notion that Snoke had once made use of them.

Temptations of the flesh never moved him to any outrageous degree, and he had no reservations about sex over power. Kylo Ren cared for the ways of the force, and squashing the weaknesses that dwelled inside him. He knew that General Hux still harbored disdain and doubt for him, and made steps to undermine him since Snoke's death.

Kylo Ren kept abreast of Hux's actions, and preferred silence and autonomy to the noise of others and wartime minutiae. He forbade anyone from disturbing him in his throne room, and as he lowered the lights and dismissed his knights, he sat in his lonely chair and saw an interactive view of the galaxy twinkling over his head.

He reached out through the stars, searching for one signal.

After he had last seen her, Kylo Ren had to know if the force connection with Rey was still strong, even after Snoke's death. He had to believe that it was, and in his throne room, he used the time to meditate and hone his skills, strengthening the conduit of their bond through lightspeed.

Rey had become skilled herself in keeping the bond intact, yet hiding her location and the whereabouts of her friends. She did allow him to peek inside her mind a few times, and Kylo Ren had guessed the allowance was only out of curiosity. Yet, they both were on equal ground with force energy, so her limitation in powers mirrored his own, thus making the connection even sturdier.

He was not expecting an open channel to her this time he had sought her out. The nausea of seeing Hux's smug face as he presented the slave girls, had Kylo Ren reaching for Rey almost immediately after his general vacated the throne room.

He would never admit it, but Kylo Ren found solace in Rey's energy, even if the girl was his enemy. For now.

Within the force connection, Kylo Ren opened his eyes into a light, sunny scene with a background that rivaled the beauty of Naboo. He looked around, searching out the sounds. He heard a babbling brook to his left, and he shielded his eyes from the sunlight bearing down at him.

"Peaceful, isn't it?" said a familiar voice beside him. He sensed her presence, so he was not surprised by her words. He turned to her slowly and studied her face as she looked forward.

"When I come here, I don't feel as lonely. I feel hope and confidence. I'm renewed to go back into the dark world and fight."

"You created this place?" he asked, awed at the progression in her mental abilities.

She nodded once. "I did have a little help. This place is from our future," she said, and his gaze swept over the peaceful landscape again, seeing a modest looking villa just ahead of them. A stone walkway stretched out beyond their feet.

"You made this place around me, in our minds, so I wouldn't find where you were. I can't see anything around you but this place," he said.

She grinned at him. "That wasn't really the main point, but yes. That was part of my motivation. I need to protect my friends."

He understood, though he found her trust and love in them to be useless, almost beneath her.

"Our future is this peaceful?" he said with a huff. "This seems like a dream, not something real at all."

"It can be," she said, and he knew what she meant. After a long pause. "You can come here, if you like. Just focus on it, and it'll be here for you. If you're feeling cross, it'll soothe you."

"Why share this with me? Once I find you, we're going to be enemies. I've already promised to destroy you," he scoffed at her.

"Have you?" Rey said. "I thought I was important to you. Last time we saw each other… Ah, I suppose that feeling is all gone now."

"No, I feel the same. You're important to me," he said.

"So you want to destroy what's important to you? Like your father. And your uncle," she said.

"My uncle was not important to me," he said, shaking his head with anger rising in his voice. "Not the way you are."

"Forgive me if I don't understand," Rey said, and before she could move ahead of him, he reached out and grabbed her arm. The touch felt warm at first, like a burning pan, and then it dulled to a chill that felt like the depth of space. He almost forgot he couldn't really touch her.

"If you would stop this nonsense and listen…"

"Nonsense... this place is not _nonsense_ , Ben!" she said, meeting his eyes defiantly. "I shared this with you because our connection is _real_. Forget the lies of Snoke. Whether or not he made this bond, he's gone and it's still strong! Don't you see? We are better together. Our future depends on it."

"But you wouldn't join me at my side. You would rule with me…"

"I don't want to rule, Ben. I want to live in peace. I want to discover the good and bad. I don't want oppression, I want freedom for everyone. No more bloodshed, no more power or supremacy. I want you, Ben. Not as this _persona_ , but you, as I've seen in my visions," she said.

"As Ben Solo," he said with a dark laugh. "He's dead, Rey."

"Not to me," she said, and her words sounded familiar. He let go of her arm, but she took his hand, unable to sever the touch. "I promise you, there's something here between us. We don't have to rule the galaxy to prove it."

He broke away from her gaze and looked around this manufactured space, the place she made with her mind. He felt a lull of complacency in the moments he was here, and he had to admit, he felt surrounded in her peace. He knew it wasn't the same as being with her. He remembered the day when they teamed up against Snoke's guards, the synergy they had and the power they possessed together. It had been invigorating, and for the first time in his life, he'd felt the thrill and excitement of a man who'd found his equal in a woman, a partner.

But she had rejected him, and the wound was still sore.

He released her touch and stepped back, meeting her with dark eyes. "You should know these kind of mind control games would not work on me…"

She shook her head, "Ben…" she interrupted, but he went on.

He smirked at her. "You're going to have to try better than this."

She glared at him, feeling slighted. He hoped she knew how he felt when she'd denied his hand and the rulership at his side.

"Very well," she said, and she looked at him determined. She swept her arm up and down in a caressing motion. He felt it against his cheek, as if she'd touched him tenderly in physical form. She dropped her hand at her side, jutted out her chin, and exhaled. He felt breath on his lips like a deep kiss, and she motioned with her hand again. A phantom finger combed lovingly through his long, black hair.

"You...you're touching me," he said simply, but with more shock than outrage.

"Of course I'm touching you! With the force," she said. "I can do more than that." He felt her phantom fingers on his skin now, underneath his clothes and down his chest. They moved to the back of him, settling on his shoulders and kneading out the knots. He held himself back from giving her a sound of pleasure. He began to sweat as he felt her.

The sensations enticed him, the possibilities of touching her in this space also piqued his interests, but her audacity also infuriated him.

"Seduction," he spat out. "Really, Rey. I thought better of you."

Rey laughed. "Intimacy, Ben." A shudder ran through his body, and she pulled her arms back at her side, releasing her touch on his mind.

Kylo Ren knew that he enjoyed the touch. He wanted more of it, and he was aggravated at the lack of physical contact. It was just a force-touch, strong and affectionate over light years in space. It was impressive skill, and he could not quash the thrill it brought him, but he didn't want to make her cocky. He didn't want her to win.

"Enough," he said. "I get your point. Frankly, I'm shocked by you."

"Why? I told you, this is what I saw in our future. You saw it too; you're just not admitting it. Your blinded by the dark side, and you fight the balance I know exists within you, vibrating like a newborn star. If you gave into it, you know you'd lose all that you've worked for to be this scary creature that rules over us poor fools in the galaxy. You'd become a man again, and you would no longer fight a war with your identity."

"You presume too much," he said.

"I presume nothing," Rey said, unshaken by his resistance. "I only know what I saw in my vision of us. I know that my place in all this is by Ben Solo's side."

He stared at her, conflicted by her words. Her meaning, her reason for inviting him into this tempting mindspace, is part of her further efforts to redeem him and bring him to the light. He didn't want to even address her touch.

She must know that if she touched him anymore, he'd be unable to control himself and he'd crave more from her. He felt too much toward her, and he didn't want to give her the satisfaction. It was true; they were too balanced, too much alike in their powers. She offered him the missing pieces in his life the same as he did for hers.

"Let's take it slow, Ben. You can come here when you want to talk to me," she said. "I should be getting back. I was reading those dusty old Jedi books. Stars, I'd rather stay here with you, but my friends would be worried if they found me talking to the air."

He watched her, saying nothing. She met his eyes as he nodded once. Finally he said, "You can bring those Jedi books next time. I'll help you decipher anything you need. Though most of the text is garbage."

"Right? I thought so too," she said, and he noticed she treated him like an old friend. He almost got lost in the emotion. He almost fell into her trap as she gifted him with a smile and bright eyes.

"You make your own point of view. Don't let those old masters hold you back," he said.

She cocked her head. "Not at all. You didn't, after all."

"You already made it clear you're not ready for my example," he said.

She grinned. "Not the current one, anyway." She willed the force around them to fade out their peaceful world. She started to retreat along with the sunshine and babbling brook. Kylo Ren resisted the urge to hold out his hand.

She left him with a teasing smile. "Until next time."

When she was gone, he stood in his dark, cold throne room. The stars twinkled at him from above. His eyes landed on one particular star, bluer and brighter than the rest.

He closed his eyes, and reached inside him to the light that was burgeoning, just as she'd said. He reached his spirit out to it, and he let the light warm the tips of his fingers before he retreated again into blood and black. In that blackness, he saw a flicker that looked like the shape of Rey's smile.

He let her energy burn like a kiss on his tortured mind. Did she really believe he could be redeemed? It was too dangerous for him to even believe...

END


	2. The Temple of Our Hearts

**AN: Sequel done to The Temple in our Minds for wipbigbang 2018, yet this story seems to be growing more and more, so there will be more to it coming soon.**

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 **Part Two: The Temple of Our Hearts**

When he'd found her again within the Force connection, she was sitting on a large rock meditating. Rey had a serene glow on her face and he caught the faint tug of a smile at the corner of her lips.

" _I am a Jedi, an instrument of peace,"_ she said like a mantra. He listened to her soft, quiet voice and let it reverberate through his core. Her mantra hit a place inside him that had not seen the Light in a long time.

Around them, the sun was warm and pleasant, reminding Kylo Ren of a mother's touch. Beyond the large rock where she was sitting, a quaint babbling river twinkled under the sunlight. A cool breeze shifted his hair around his face, and he had to deny himself a contented sigh.

This place was all created in Rey's mind. She treated it as her safe haven, and even more surprisingly, she had invited him to meet her to this space whenever he so desired. Her invitation warmed him, making him feel less alone than he had in years.

"You're back," she said to him, and she opened her eyes and turned her attention to him. Kylo Ren looked down at her and frowned slightly.

"I needed to see you again," he said, almost as softly as a whisper, and when they locked eyes, Rey's serene face fell. He could feel in her expression a sense of longing that mirrored his own. Like him, Rey had found some sort of solace in his company. It was amazing they were even considered enemies, though Kylo Ren knew in his heart that such a thing wasn't true.

He suspected Rey felt the same way too.

She nodded in understanding, and then she outstretched her hand. "Would you like to join me?"

Kylo Ren looked down at the rock. It was indeed spacious enough for both of them. He nodded and then sat beside her on the rock, crossing his legs and mimicking her position. He watched her hands shape the mudras and then he watched her close her eyes.

He did the same, and he slipped into peace. He focused on his breathing, tuning out all the anger and darkness in his mind. The last thing he heard was her own breathing next to him, and then suddenly her breathing fell in sync with his.

And then, their heartbeats were in step, like a perfect dance. Then, as she began her mantra again, he let his mind follow it like a song, and then he chanted it with her.

He did not know how long he had slipped into this meditative state, but Kylo Ren had to admit that he never felt this at peace when he was teaching under Luke. He'd never felt this in control of his emotions and he'd never felt such strong warmth from the Light.

When he opened his eyes, her mantra had stopped and Rey had come out of her trance as well. Then, she surprised him and leaned against him, her head resting on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she said, but she didn't move. "I should have asked."

He reached his hand to caress her jaw, his fingers stroking her soft skin as long as she would allow. Rey made no motion to stop his touch. She closed her eyes briefly in response to his caress, but then she met his own stare, and they locked eyes. He could feel her presence traveling through his very soul. It was amazing what he could feel of her through the Force.

He let her inside. He opened himself up to her as much as he could, just as she had to him.

He felt so content that he didn't want to leave this space. Each time he had visited her here, he felt more and more connected to her and unwilling to leave her presence. He had to keep up appearances with the First Order, but Rey was not the rival his comrades would believe. In fact, he knew that General Hux would be furious to know that Kylo Ren had formed such a bond with the scavenger girl.

Rey would always be more to him than just a rebel girl, or even as the last Jedi. He couldn't form the words to how important Rey was to him, or what he could call her. He only knew one thing for absolute certainty - Rey was his equal, and they were bonded.

It was a bond that he would fight tooth and nail never to break.

He cleared his throat, and the intrusive noise broke their stare. Rey blushed slightly and looked away, her gaze sweeping over the beautiful scenery in this secret world.

"The ancient Jedi texts," he began. "You said you have been reading them?" He hoped to steer the conversation elsewhere than the nature of their bond. The more that they delved deeper into how they felt, he wondered if he would drown in her. His mother always did say that he felt everything too intensely, and his passion was a changing star, smoldering with restrained pressure.

"Yes, I have been reading them when I have time. Mostly I train," she said, but then he felt her pause. She was holding something back, yet if she did not speak to him in words, he would get the thoughts from her mind.

"You've been seeing Luke Skywalker's ghost," he said, and she made no motion or noise of affirmation. He already knew that he was right.

"He comes to me with another long dead Jedi, Master Yoda. Master Yoda infuriates him more than I do," Rey said. She laughed slightly. "Imagine that, being angry as a ghost when you've moved on into the Force."

Kylo Ren barely cracked a smile, but he understood the levity. Luke was a bitter old fool, and he'd heard tales that Yoda was a great master, and he truly embodied the Jedi code.

"What else is he teaching you?" Kylo Ren immediately asked, and Rey gave him a suspicious side-eyed glance.

"I'm not sure you'd benefit from knowing. The subjects are probably ones you know, or even too remedial for you," she said. "However, with the texts I can summarize one thing to you." He watched her hug her knees. "I'm not sure I'm cut out to be a Jedi. I try, I honestly do, but some of their coda is hard for me to accept."

"Such as?" Kylo Ren asked, curious to her hesitation.

She turned to him and he could tell that she really wanted to tell him more than she could. Something held her back but he suspected she knew that he'd get it from her mind eventually.

"From the visions I've had of you and me, in our future there is no place for a rule that disallows a Jedi from forming attachments," she said. "The idea of not being attached to you in this bond seems blasphemous to my own feelings, and yet the Jedi has no passion, yet serenity, and they love all others as they are to be loved."

She paused and he stared at her, his silence urging her on. She came closer to him, and her voice quieted when she said. "Since my vision I have known love, of my friends and of all life, but I have also known the strongest of attachments - toward you, Ben, and I know that it is definitely not fully Light."

"And it is not fully Dark, I imagine," he added for her, and she nodded.

"It is the Balance," she said. "Our bond, Ben, it is the Balance that I feel so strongly, and I know in my heart that it is right despite what that code says. And if that is the case, than words in an ancient book - how much do they hold weight anymore? What am I a Jedi in comparison to the Jedi of old?"

Kylo Ren watched her expression turn conflicted and he sympathized with her desperation - the feeling to want an understanding for oneself, and the isolation one feels when they see and know so much more than anyone else. The power that both corrupts one person and also uplifts them.

Finally, he quieted her tension when he put a hand over hers as she clutched her knees. She relaxed, watching him as he regarded her.

"Do not take everything in those books seriously, Rey," he said, and when he said her name, he could see a flicker of a reaction over her face. "The Jedi Order themselves are dead and long gone. You and I are the last of the strongest Force-users. We can make a new order in what we know is right and natural according to the Force. The Jedi, in their own way, were zealots and because of rules just like that one, they are not around to condemn their followers for such things anymore."

He watched as she visibly relaxed and then turned away from his hard stare. He watched a light smile tug at her lips. "I suppose you're right. Though, not everything from the Jedi texts is that offensive. There are some good things."

"Of course," he said. "Tell me, what else have you learned?"

Then she shot him a mischievous smile.

"I think it's better if I showed you," she said, and she stood up from her spot and headed to a clearing. Kylo Ren watched her movements and behind her the scenery changed. The once serene landscape changed to a barren wasteland under a hot sun, Jakku he guessed, and she stood in attention with her staff. He saw that something had changed with her weapon, especially since the light saber she had used with him against Snoke's guards and then against him before her rejection had been destroyed.

Rey held a new lightsaber, and he silently appreciated the design. "Your lightsaber…" he began. He watched as she twirled it with expert balance and skill. She'd certainly had time to make use of it in her training. He appreciated the new design, which matched her well, and he could no longer feel any attachment to his grandfather or uncle in the weapon. She grinned at him, and he knew she felt it too - the lightsaber wholly defined her without any remnants from anyone else.

Rey held her staff lightsaber and gave it a once over before meeting his eyes. "The focusing crystal was completely shattered on Luke's lightsaber. I could not repair it, no matter how much I tried. With some of Leia's connections, I was able to piece together some of my own components and reconfigure my staff into a lightsaber pike." She twirled it again and then held it parallel to the ground. Both ends lit up with a smoky greyish light. She was much more in control of this weapon, and as she held it, he noticed more confidence. The design was suited for her, and he was anxious to meet her in some kind of combat to test the weapon out.

He did not think he would wait long. She grinned at him.

"I gather you did not bring me here to give me a dull story about how you made your own lightsaber," he intoned, and she laughed at him.

"Surely not," she said, and she took some steps back from him and positioned herself in a familiar stance. He could not prevent the smirk tugging at his lips.

"Shall we?" she asked, stretching further into her stance. The precursor to their sparring sent a shiver of glee throughout his body.

"Skipping _shii-cho_ and right into _makashi_?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, and noticing her footwork, one foot in front of the other in a line.

"I didn't want to insult you on bringing you back to the basics, plus I've been practicing and I'm eager to show off a bit," she said with a smirk, and he watched her give him a small shrug as she held her lightsaber pike. The grey beam of it was gorgeous and it buzzed with unpredictable energy. As his own lightsaber would release energy from the sides of his weapon, trying to contain the volatile nature of the beam that synchronized with his own persona, Rey's lightsaber also defined her well. She seemed unassuming and untrained to anyone else, but Kylo Ren knew that Rey held vast amounts of power. He knew better than anyone she was not to be underestimated.

The parried and sparred, their lightsabers meeting for the first time like a volatile romance, yet seemed as though they two were familiar rivals. Neither one of them held back, giving their all to every move and every strike. She had pushed him back several times, taking him out of his comfort zone. He had tried tricks on her, and she had deflected. She had tried entering his mind a few times, and he fended her off, but it did require some effort.

She had definitely improved in her battle skills, and he was eager to see more of her training.

Rey was strong, and the more he smelled her scent around him, or listened to her quickening heartbeat in his mind, the more he wanted her by his side again and he would not give up no matter what ideologies she had that kept them apart.

The pulled away for a break, preparing for another bout of sparring through more forms of Jedi fighting, whether as a single stance or a hybrid of all four of them. She noticed the break he fell into, and they both caught their breaths, their gazes still locked as the dust and sand settled under their feet.

He saw the blush of color in her cheeks when he'd removed his shirt from the exertion. Even in this Force-connection world, their physical activity was still real, and Kylo Ren was eager to take a shower after this. Bringing him to Jakku in their connection was still too hot for his taste, and he swore he could taste sand in his teeth.

She disarmed him a couple of times, and he disarmed her a handful, yet the closer those moves were to him, the more he felt her excitement. He'd look into her eyes and she'd lock her gaze, searching out his feelings as she caught her breath.

On their last bout, they had disarmed each other at the same time, their lightsabers snapping against each other, going dark and then tumbling into the sand. She had fallen onto him, and he had clumsily caught on a pocket of loose sand, crashing with her. Instinctively, his arms went around her as she fell into his chest, and they both made an _OOF_ sound once they hit sand. Kylo Ren remembered how much he hated how sand stuck to his skin.

He'd forgotten all about the sand the moment he felt Rey's hot breath on his chest. She was looking at where she had fallen, eyes widening as her breath did not seem to even. Her heart seemed to hammer against him, Cautiously, she looked up and met his eyes. He pulled her closer to him and she did not resist. One of his hands slid away from holding her against him and traced the sweat and sand on her chin. Tentatively, he leaned forward and licked the drop of sweat off her chin, pulling away from her heated gaze.

He wanted to ask her again if she'd join him. He needed her by his side. To be apart from him made no logical sense in his mind. Her power and loneliness were a mirror to his. She enticed him on levels that no one had, and despite all the darkness and nightmares that had plagued his life, for once Rey had soothed them all. His future seemed a lot stronger and more secure with her beside him.

Rey remained still, only looked at him to see what move he would make next. Slowly, he saw her shaking hand reach up and brush the sand out of his hair.

The moment she touched him so gently, temptation railroaded him, and he couldn't deny his urges any longer. He pressed near and captured her lips in a hungry, desperate kiss. She wasn't startled or surprised, and she melted against him like his decision was meant to be, another snag on the string of their entwined fates.

The kiss was deep, long and he made no motion to let her go. He was hungry for her taste, her scent and her warmth. She obliged him, her body instinctively arching to him. The friction that warmed between him made him dizzy with desire.

He pulled away in a wet smack from her lips and rubbed his nose against hers, rocking as he fought his urges. "If I kiss you again, I will not stop myself." It was a beautiful threat, and he could feel her shudder against him.

"Then don't," she whispered against his skin. When she nibbled on the side of his mouth and pulled at his bottom lip he felt like bursting. He grasped her tightly and then twisted them, shifting her to her back into the sand.

He covered her body as she began to peel away her clothes, and he helped her along with the Force. Suddenly, their background shifted again and they were back into a serene setting. The sand was gone, and the only heat he felt was between them. They lay in the grass, and underneath him he watched Rey smile as she pulled away her shirt. He worked on his pants, easily sliding them off as he shifted over her.

"How is this happening?" He had to stop himself and remember that they were still meeting through a Force connection in her mind. "I can feel you as if you were here with me."

"It's like a dream, isn't it? We're not really here. But it's happening. It's all in the Force," she said. She pulled him down and gave him a stern look. "Don't try to understand it. Just do."

Her command sent a shiver down his spine and he ravaged her mouth again, his hands busy over her soft skin and delicate parts. She was right. He let his pressing thoughts fade away and continued to make love to her. He made her moan for him, and he began to understand why she didn't think she'd be a Jedi - not really, not when she had opened herself to the dark side so eagerly - _to him_ , and how he too failed his Uncle and his stupid Jedi coda again.

But maybe he was more like his grandfather after all and that he knew what passion was, to love this deeply. Unlike his grandfather, however, he wouldn't let this love destroy him. No, this was the love that would save the galaxy - it would burn away all the deadwood, the sickness of the past and the weaknesses of those still deluding themselves with power. He and Rey would make things right. No suffering, no endless bickering and wars. Only unity. Only freedom.

Kylo Ren looked down at Rey as he broke away from their kiss, he stared at her pebbled nipples and watched as her strong legs wrapped around him. When he entered her fully, he felt a power so deep explode inside him, it was more than he'd ever encountered when using the Force. He moved swift and full, and she called his name over and over again. _"Ben."_

* * *

General Hux would not wait around anymore for Supreme Leader Kylo Ren to act. He had locked himself in his throne room and would not let anyone, including Hux, to disturb him.

He even hated calling him the Supreme Leader, but now that his true Master Snoke was dead, Kylo Ren was the de facto leader to take his place. Of course, Hux had to agree with the new role. His life depended on it, but that did not mean he had to like it or accept it.

For all his power and training, Kylo Ren was still a simpering, emotional fool. Hux had suspected that even since the girl had supposedly killed Snoke that he was still hung up on her, and Hux wasn't deluded in believing a scavenger girl had enough power and cunning to kill someone as glorious as Supreme Leader Snoke.

Now, something was afoul with Kylo Ren's intentions.

"He's a traitor," Hux thought aloud, and he would more than prove it. The more time Kylo Ren took "meditating and training" in his Throne Room without distractions, the more opportunities Hux would have in proving to the First Order that General Hux was the true leader, not Kylo Ren.

He'd strengthen his own alliances, and he'd find ways to build up the strength of the First Order without Kylo Ren's knowledge. Soon, he'd find a way to outmaneuver this despot Supreme Leader and become the leader himself.

Then, he'd be rid of him, and then without delay they would obliterate the remnants of the Resistance. And once Hux found Rey, he'd make sure Kylo Ren was alive to witness her final punishment. Then he'd join the girl in whatever Force afterlife their kind had shared.

The Jedi and Force users like Kylo Ren deserved to be in a graveyard with the rest of them, but Hux couldn't do it alone. He knew he didn't have the kind of power that Kylo Ren had, but Hux liked to think that he was cleverer than this new despot Supreme Leader. He also felt that the late Supreme Leader Snoke had entrusted Hux over Kylo Ren with many things, and to this day Hux was sure he knew more about Snoke than Kylo Ren ever could imagine.

An incoming communication from the bridge alerted his presence. He stared out into the vastness of space for a moment before answering, admiring how soon this entire galaxy would be all his.

"General Hux, sir, there's an incoming message for you on a secure channel," said the voice on the other line.

"Acknowledged," he said. "Put it through here to my office and scramble all channels."

"Yes, sir," said the soldier.

After a stark buzz of static, another voice came onto the other line. "General Armitage Huxsss…." hissed the voice, which mangled the common language due to his species. Hux didn't mind. The Trandoshans were old allies of the Empire, and Hux admired their ruthlessness. This particular Trandoshan was Force user, and one of Snoke's secret weapons.

"Darth Aa'Ricsss, it is a pleasure to speak with you again," General Hux said cordially, and he could still hear Aa'Ricsss breathing heavily on the communication line.

"You may call me Aicsss, General Hux. When you have gained my respect you can address me as the Supreme Leader once did," he told him sternly.

"I understand completely, Lord Aicsss," Hux said, dialing back his charm and trying to appear more civil with this contact. Aicsss was his Ace weapon and he wasn't going to ruin his chances by insulting him. The most he knew from this contact was that Snoke thought highly of Aicsss, but did not think he had the temperament to become a Supreme Leader.

Snoke had used him for ruthless and treacherous duties and missions, and for the most part he had been content with his mercenary role when Snoke was alive. Though Hux knew that Aicsss wasn't content with being Snoke's underling and main thug indefinitely, and he was sure when Snoke's death was known, Aicss would be more available to new opportunities. Hux had noticed that Aicsss had delusions of grandeur in reports of Snoke's disciple, and of course, he thought of him immediately when Kylo Ren took over.

"What is this disturbance about?" he snapped at him, seeming unfriendlier as the seconds rolled by. "Your communique stated you had business with me? What business do you think I would have with you, human?"

"I will make this worth you while, I assure you Lord Aicsss. You and I have a common distaste for the current new Supreme Leader," Hux said, and he heard Aicsss scoff immediately.

"The boy who Snoke proclaimed would be great, is merely just another whiny disappointing human child," the smuggler said. "His very name makes me sick."

"I share the sentiment. I was hoping that if we pool our talents and resources we can unseat this unsavory despot and make you the new Supreme Leader. You are, of course, more aligned with Snoke's original plans for the galaxy, and you are far more powerful than Kylo Ren in matters of the Force," Hux said, even though some of those statements were exaggerations and platitudes. Hux had no intention of making this undesirable goon the new Supreme Leader but that was his selling point.

"Ha! You would make me Supreme Leader when Snoke did not want me to be his successor? What do you gain from all of this, Armitage Hux?" Aicsss asked him.

"A better leader for one thing, and the end of Kylo Ren and his Knights away from the First Order. Without their dead weight, we have not been able to thrive," Hux answered. "I believe that with your knowledge and power, the First Order will be invincible and a force to reckon with."

"Hrmmm," Aicss said, and Hux felt relief and hearing a more satisfied tone from the mercenary. "I see worth in your words. Without Supreme Leader Snoke, I am sure you feel a hole in your rulership indeed, Huxsss."

"Kylo Ren has no business taking the mantle from such a Leader," Hux said, feeling his temper rising at the thought of him. "I would indeed make it worth your while if you could usurp this useless despot immediately and take leadership of the First Order. We would make the First Order unstoppable."

"So you say, human," Aicsss said, and Hux felt a sliver of anxiety knowing this creature would be hard to predict. He was certain Aicsss had his own ideas about the position, and Hux would be more than prepared to watch his back. Hux only intended to use Aicsss as a weapon to take on Kylo Ren. "You are clever enough to enlist my skills. I have fought with Kylo Ren before, and have bested him in some instances. No doubt his skills have diminished over time?"

"Kylo Ren is powerful, but it's his mind that is lacking. You see, Kylo Ren has formed an unhealthy attachment to a woman," Hux told him, and he heard laughter through the communication line.

"Ah like his grandfather! These human males and their weaknesses for love! How droll!" he hissed at him.

"Yes, and you see, you have more than a chance to defeat him," Hux added. "He has a wounded heart, and as you know, such a thing is a failure for a Force User. He killed his father, an action that still haunts him, and now this girl has swayed his heart to go against the First Order's ideals."

"General Huxsss, I will be delighted to take on your challenge," Aicsss said. "I will defeat Kylo Ren with much swiftness, and then the mantle of Supreme Leader will be mine."

"It is inevitable," Hux said with a grin. "I will have a ship bring you to our main Starfighter immediately."

Aicsss snickered again. "I will be waiting, and I look forward to crushing this human worm who calls himself Supreme Leader."

When the communication broke, General Hux's mood lightened and he felt more confident than ever. He had to move a few more pieces, make some allowances for Aicsss, and secure backup plans in case Aicsss truly tried to take over the First Order above him. Of course, he wouldn't allow that to happen.

Soon, once all the pawns were on the board, Hux would crush them all and claim victory - and the Supreme Leadership, for himself.

* * *

When Kylo Ren awoke, he was back in his throne room. He was clutching his robe to his naked skin, and instantly he was missing Rey's touch. After their lovemaking, he supposed the Force connection broke because they both had fallen asleep.

He knew that was the limitation of the Force connection. Their bond was only so strong with each other, and clearly they needed rest. Now, knowing her and feeling her, Kylo Ren wanted more than ever to have her by his side, physically and beyond the confines of the Force connection.

He couldn't do that now; however, he had other duties within the Force Order and he had to keep General Hux and his army in line. He knew that the good General loathed him and would try everything he could to protest Kylo's role as Supreme Leader. He could only choke and fling about the General so many times. All in all, the General did keep Snoke's original plan of taking over the galaxy in the First Order's name.

After being with Rey, the idea of it left a bad taste in his mouth. She made him rethink his role in all of this, and if the First Order was something he believed in anymore. The Resistance was at best, so minor now after the Battle of Crait, it had the power of a swarm of gnats. Is it worth going after them again? Is it worth Rey's condemnation when he went after her friends?

Frankly, Kylo Ren was tired of this endless cycle of Light versus Dark. Snoke had made promises to him, and in his abuse, he had promised him so much power within the dark side. Now Snoke was dead, his father was dead, and his uncle died trying to protect his mother and her people. Hux and his army had an iron grip over the galaxy already, and going after a small rag-tag group of rebels seemed pitiful - like an exercise in futile revenge.

Despite it all, Rey still had hope in him. She had refused him before when he asked her to rule the galaxy at his side. Maybe that was the wrong question.

She had opened herself up to him, beyond her mind, but with her heart too, and effortlessly, he had opened to her as well. She confessed her passion to him, and he felt the same. The scavenger girl, in all her power and skill, had nestled inside his heart. She was changing his mind on things, and when his thoughts went to a dark place, he only thought of her part in it. What were her thoughts? Would she abandon him again if he went so far into the darkness without her?

Surely, the galaxy could be a better place underneath their leadership? Maybe not as rulers, but as something else?

"We'd at least be together," he said to himself in the darkness of his throne room, and he was already feeling the pains of her absence. Loneliness was seeping into his bones again, and he could feel Snoke's voice echoing in his head, telling him to forget the girl.

Only he couldn't. He didn't want to be her enemy anymore. He only wanted _her_.

* * *

Rey was tired, and when she woke up in her bedding on the caves of the Resistance's new hiding place, she felt cold - missing Ben's warmth.

She was slightly horrified with herself. She had made love to Ben, even welcomed it, and she could feel the change churning within him. Ben wanted to be good, and she had known it all along. Though she couldn't celebrate yet. She had to continue to bring him to her space, chipping away at his darkness if she could be his Light. Perhaps then she'd ultimately convince him to leave the First Order and train with her. They could do so much more good with their powers.

And then Leia would get to see her son again.

Rey had to admit, the Resistance was still small and wounded. They were gathering allies, supplies and connections to build themselves up again, but she was sure it would take years for them to have a fighting chance against the looming First Order.

She still shared their hope, and she worked daily when she wasn't training to help them anyway she could. Yet, sometimes the efforts to help them seemed stale. They were running in place at times. They had disappointing communiques sometimes, and morale was definitely down.

General Organa still had hope though. She still had people from her younger days that she could ask to help them, if they could only get them to their hiding place in secret of course.

Rey still felt sweaty from her encounter with Kylo Ren, so she made her way down the cliff of caverns to the mossy bog at the foot of the hill. The planet they found was on the outskirts of the galaxy, another old Resistance hiding place that had been abandoned since the days of the Empire. She wondered if the First Order would bother looking for them here, though she doubted it. The planet itself seemed to smell of pungent algae and decay even from space.

The cave she found was large enough for meditation and some training. She normally had to visualize her training grounds, just to get her mind away from the dank, depressing planet. Not a half click away, she could see the clustering dwellings of their encampment. Smoke from some of the fires melded with the greenish haze in the air, and within a concentration of fog and green miasma she knew was the rusted out shelter that was their new base of operations.

After her bath, she felt slightly better, but still sticky from the humidity, so she dressed in fresh garments and made her way to the camp. Her stomach growled, and she hoped that Rose and Finn had prepared something for dinner.

She'd have to tell them that her training had gone well, but she still wasn't ready to tell them about meeting Kylo Ren. She'd only told Leia, who already had guessed it. Rey had to convince her that she was seeing him because she still believed she could redeem him. Leia was mostly silent on Rey's reasoning, but she could tell in the woman's eyes that she suspected something more.

 _What am I supposed to say, that I've fallen in love him?_ Rey thought.

She supposed that Leia already knew, and Rey wondered if it was even worth it to see it in words.

She stopped walking and turned back to her cave and she remembered what paradise she'd created there, and what had happened between them. Once wasn't enough, she surmised.

She had to see him again, and then next time she'd see him face to face. She'd touch him for real, and there would be no Force bond to create a new place, and no loneliness waiting for her when her fantasy world went dark.

Rey knew she'd see him again, and that next time, she'd convince him to join _her_ \- maybe not with the Resistance, but with her. If he didn't believe in the Resistance or his mom, maybe she'd give him something - _someone_ \- else to believe in.


	3. The Temple of Rivals

AN: Written for the "tan" prompt for the Summer Mini Challenge 2018.

* * *

Part Three: The Temple of Rivals

General Hux peered out the Star Destroyer's window as a rustic tan and copper cargo ship prepared to dock in the hangar. He watched as the lights blinked green against the ship's hull, mottled with dents, laser blast residue, and space dust. He took a deep sigh, smiled to himself, and turned his heel to greet his new special guest.

He had all the pieces in place. After giving a shipwidel order to his troops and personnel, his plans were set into motion in bringing Lord Aicsss into the fold.

He made his way through the corridor to the hangar, watching as the stormtroopers stood in attention immediately at his presence. They fanned out in a structured formation behind him as the ship docked. Guards flanked General Hux in case Aicsss tried anything untoward, though Hux doubted it. Aicsss had too much to gain from this alliance. He was sure later he would most likely double cross them.

General Hux would just have to double cross him first. He smirked, and he watched as the hatch opened, and a dark-robed, scaly-skinned biped descended from his ship. His large eyes fixated on Hux, but the general refused to be intimidated. He watched as the dark robes barely covered Aicsss, as he was immodest enough to show off the scales and color of his muscular and defined chest. Hux was just glad he was wearing pants at this point, for the rest of his attire was almost scandalous. He supposed it had something to do with the temperature, and then let his thoughts fall elsewhere.

He bowed cordially to Aicsss immediately, showing not only civility, but the respect to show submission to greater power. Aicsss' blinked his large red eyes at Hux, and did not even nod his head in affirmation. Hux found that rude, but continued to smile at him, ignoring his guest's bad manners.

"Welcome aboard, Lord Aicsss," Hux said immediately.

The visitor's gaze swept around the room, and Hux had no doubt that he was surveying the bounty he would inherit once he became Supreme Leader. Well, Hux would let him think he was getting what he wanted. He only cared to use Aicsss to get rid of Kylo Ren.

"A formidable Star Destroyer. Not as magnificent as the _Supremacy_ but it will do," he said, and Hux had a bad taste in his mouth after he'd mentioned Snoke's former flagship. He continued to smile.

"Indeed, sir, and the First Order has many more in production and ready to fortify our name in this galaxy," Hux replied.

"Hn, and more soldiers?" Aicsss asked, gazing at the number of stormtroopers flanking General Hux. He almost looked uncomfortable.

"Yes, my Lord. We have heightened our recruitment and procurement process of adding soldiers. Our indoctrination protocol is stronger than ever," Hux said.

Aicsss nodded. "Ah, and all of these resources and your Supreme Leader hides in his bed? I would be out there ruling, not meditating like some Jedi fool."

General Hux nodded. "Indeed, my Lord. I am glad that you have such a vision for the First Order. It is certainly one that Snoke had, and I myself, have as well."

Hux turned to the foot soldiers and cadets waiting near Aicsss. A few guards, two burly and unsavory characters appeared behind him on the docking ramp and gave the cadets a suspicious glare.

"Lord Aicsss, we have prepared for you a large suite that you and your guards can comfortably attend," Hux said. "However, I have one favor to ask of you first."

"Oh?" Aicsss asked, blinking his red eyes at Hux, a little miffed that he'd had the gall to ask something from him on first arrival.

"Shall you take over the First Order from Kylo Ren now or at another convenient time?" Hux asked, challenging him.

Immediately, Aicsss opened the side of robe and pulled out a lightsaber that had two active ends, the color of red and shape of curved blades, like a scythe. They buzzed at him as he took a stance, indicating to Hux that he was more than ready.

Hux nodded, and then he turned to his soldiers. "Give the command," he told the new captain. The captain, adorned in a gunmetal suit to distinguish him from the others, nodded at Hux and then barked out orders through his helmet.

Aicsss relaxed his stance, but he was still ready. Hux clasped his hands behind his back, and stepped behind Aicsss, waiting for the next moving piece in his plan.

* * *

For the moment, Kylo Ren tried to get Rey out of his head. He had to check on the state of the First Order, and to make sure that Hux was doing what he should. It was odd; the moment he came out of the Force connection with Rey, Hux's loathing toward him felt much stronger.

He was also feeling a strange buzz, like static, within the minds of all the soldiers and personnel on the ship. Usually, he could sense their feelings, their fear, and even the emptiness of their compliance, but now he could only feel a wall around everyone. Only pieces of chatter seeped into his mind. He reached into the Force to get a clearly picture, concentrating on Hux, the captain, and other personnel that he'd encountered.

All of them had the same, dull static around them.

Something was happening. He could feel it in his bones, and the more he tapped into the Force, the more he could feel tension and the harbinger of something ominous.

He put his hood over his head and marched out of his throne room. The guards that usually stood at attention were gone. His Knights of Ren, on some mission from General Hux in the outer sectors, were still gone, and he missed the presence of their energy.

He wandered down the halls, hearing only his boots smacking against the floor with an echo. The corridors seemed to be deserted, which was even odder, since Kylo Ren was sure to run by many soldiers going to their shifts and performing their duties. Now, it seemed as though the Star Destroyer was only filled with ghosts.

His footsteps paused as he heard something, and he listened for it again. Someone was there. Quickly, he turned a corner and followed the sounds down another corridor headed to the hangar. When he caught up, he just got a glimpse of a couple of stormtroopers as they entered the opened hatch into the hangar.

When he came into the hangar, he stopped. A large portion of personnel of the Star Destroyer was lined up, waiting in formation and turned toward him. His anger rose when he started to suspect what was happening.

Mutiny. The evidence was as plain as the smirk on General Hux's face. _What a fool,_ Kylo Ren thought.

"Ah, Supreme Leader, so good of you to join us. We were just welcoming our new guest to the ship. Unfortunately for you, his arrival means something entirely different," Hux said, and Kylo Ren hated that slimy smirk on his face. He made a motion to choke him by Force, but then another energy had blocked him. The same energy as the static he felt before.

Stepping out in front of General Hux was a face he had not seen in such a long time. The sick, slithery skin and the molten red eyes glared at him. Kylo Ren thought Snoke had disposed of him, and he never thought he'd see Aicsss again. He remembered when they fought under Snoke's guidance. Aicsss was erratic, temperamental and cruel. He was also stubborn and defiant, a student that Snoke had trouble manipulating, which had caused the late Supreme Leader much distaste.

"You. So General Hux, who loathes me so much, chooses to enlist a long, forgotten heap of Snoke's garbage to defeat me," Kylo Ren said, mocking Aicsss instantly. The Trandoshan looked impassive, but in his red eyes, Kylo Ren could see a flicker of anger. He remembered making it his hobby several times in his youth to annoy Aicsss enough for him to lose his temper. It had not been a difficult task.

"I think the Supreme Leader misunderstands. I felt it necessary to enlist Lord Aicsss here to aspire to be our new Supreme Leader, as our current one does not deserve the title and does nothing but meditate in his throne room all day. Such lethargic rulership is a cancer to the greatness of the First Order." General Hux spoke before Aicsss could reply. He was unsure if he would, as Aicsss just continued to stare at his opponent. Kylo Ren could definitely feel intrusive energy around him from the Force, no doubt Aicsss prying and forcing himself into his head. As in the past, Aicsss' mental abilities seemed to be lacking.

"You think Aicsss a more suitable Supreme Leader than me?" Kylo Ren asked, fury reddening in his face. He did not find this amusing or reasonable. Hux's disrespect was predictable, even expected, but to enlist such a low-life Force user that Snoke had rejected himself at one point, was plain insulting. Kylo Ren couldn't wait to crack Hux's bones the first moment he was able.

Until then, it seemed as though Hux wanted Aicsss to fight him to take the throne. Kylo Ren would have to oblige the request, but disappoint Hux on the outcome.

Kylo Ren shed his outer robe over the uniform, and he unbuttoned the cuffs of his sleeves. He ran a finger through his long wild hair and then, acting bored, came into a light, almost uninspired fighting stance as he clicked on his lightsaber and the red energy screamed to life in a luminescent blade.

"Shall we begin?" Kylo Ren asked his opponent, seeming unfazed by Hux's confident smirk and the lines of stormtroopers that stood at the general's attention.

Aicsss began to circle him, the power from his own lightsaber reflecting a red light against his oily scales. Kylo Ren joined in the dance, watching his opponent carefully, and bringing up memories of his first fight with Aicsss. Sure, the volatile rival bested him on a few skirmishes, but Kylo Ren triumphed against him many times.

In his mind, this time would be no different.

"I was sure you had grown in power, Kylo Ren," Aicsss finally said to him. "After all, you have become Supreme Leader, though I wonder how. Snoke was very powerful, and you were leagues under his abilities. Was it really that girl Hux has told me about that killed such a great leader?"

Kylo Ren gritted his teeth at the mention of Rey. The reaction must have been visible to Aicsss because he immediately laughed.

"So it is true. You have fallen for this girl, this other Force user trained by Jedi ghosts," Aicsss mocked him.

"I do not remember you talking this much when we were training in our youth," Kylo Ren spat at him, and finally he charged, meeting one of Aicsss' lightsaber scythes with a shriek from his own blade. Their energies met, creating a hollow buzz that ripped through the air like a knife to the ears. Several onlookers winced, and the screeching of their sabers only howled louder as they met. Red light to red light. Blade to Scythe. Fury to Malice.

Aicsss began to quicken his footwork, becoming more physical as they traded hits. He crouched, he leapt, and he dodged Kylo Ren's blade and outstretched hand of Force power. He countered with his own, pushing Kylo Ren backwards a couple of times on his heel.

His pace and erratic movements increased. He launched into the air, bounced off the head of a stormtrooper and did a twist in the air to come at Kylo Ren from above. The momentum took Kylo Ren aback, and he met Aicsss with a lumbering slash full of exasperation and rage. The Force of his move sent Aicsss backward as well, a little unsteady on his feet as he landed from his jab.

Gritting his teeth, Kylo Ren was losing his patience. Every opportunity he got, he tried to throw Aicsss off with Force blasts from his hands. Aicsss would dodge them, and then he would spin and send back some energy of his own. Kylo Ren barely dodged that, and for a moment, during the sweat and anger of battle, Kylo Ren felt something was missing.

Like the battle with Snoke's guards, he'd felt a synergy of power, a partnership of harmony and balance of energy. He'd even felt their heartbeats, the sounds steady and beating as one.

But now, he only felt himself. He only felt his unhinged rage, his dark loneliness, and his fury toward Hux's mutiny coming to a head. He felt it bubbling like a dormant volcano, and he focused all of it into the energy of his weapon. He met Aicsss' blade again and again, and his rival seemed to enjoy Kylo Ren's struggle to maintain and control his own fury within his power.

It was almost like Aicsss knew that Kylo Ren was incomplete, and Kylo Ren didn't want to entertain the thought. He _did_ feel incomplete, like a halflife without Rey by his side. When she wasn't fighting with him, like that fateful day in Snoke's throne room, he was merely a shell. Snoke had groomed him, tainted him and fostered the darkness that shaped him. And in that shape was his fury, his power and his own personal demons. With Rey, he was something more. His power was energized, and his visions of her had been clear. Together, they could be so powerful - so wonderful.

As he tumbled further into his thoughts, Aicsss managed to get the upper hand. Kylo Ren started to feel the pain in his hand from the exertion of Force energy and the blows from the lightsaber. Sweat drenched his face, and he struggled to focus on his stance. Aicsss on the other hand, seemed barely winded.

Kylo Ren didn't believe he would lose this fight, but he could. He refused. He had only one plan to go against Aicsss and Hux's mutinous First Order.

He had to get to Rey. He had to leave the Star Destroyer, hide somewhere, pool his resources, and gather his only worthy ally. Rey.

Aicsss sent another Force blow his way, and Kylo Ren barely caught his balance on his heels. His opponent had backed himself into the closed hatch of the hangar, and Kylo Ren could see the army and his opponent closing in on him. Hux's smug face was proof enough that they did not intend for Aicsss to keep him alive. Or, perhaps they would and Hux would delight in finding some way to torture him.

Kylo Ren would not let that happen.

He thought of Rey, sitting on her rock in their Force space, chanting the mantra and having their breaths and voices as one. He focused on getting in that space again. Calm. The Silence.

The Force around and inside him felt stronger. _Rey…_ when he spoke her name in his mind he whispered it across the far reaches of the galaxy. He took a grip of that Force energy, and he let it concentrate on his palm. He gripped his lightsaber tightly, and then he swung it in a half moon that swept across the hangar.

Soldiers were flung backward. Hux had even flown into a bulkhead, and Aicsss wobbled enough to fall onto his stomach. Bulkheads crackled under the immense pressure, lights flickered and sparked, and the structures around the hangar collapsed. The Force pushed back Aicsss' ship a few hundred meters, crashing and spinning against the airlock door. Scaffolding from the ceiling began to whine and crunch, falling in a rain of sparks over the troopers and fallen personnel. Hux barely slid out of the way before a heavy metal scrap piece sliced through the floor by his face.

Just as the floor began to rumble like a small earthquake, Kylo Ren made a motion to leave. He secured the hangar hatch as he twisted metal to seal them inside. He hurried down the corridor toward the other hangar where his _Silencer_ awaited. It was only a matter of time before Hux began to order retaliation as he escaped.

He'd flung out a few skeleton crew personnel from his path, and he launched backward the meager number or stormtroopers that guarded his vessel. He came aboard his ship, strapped in and readied the controls. He blew a hole into the hangar and then dashed his ship out of the Star Destroyer's weakened shields.

As he maneuvered the ship farther away, he saw fire coming after him from the Star Destroyer. Curling his lip, he made a few course adjustments and increased his speed.

When he was comfortably out of range of their barrage of fire, he jumped into hyperspace. After coming out of it, he floated in the vastness of space without a threat around him. In the silence, he tried to formulate his next plan. Instead, he couldn't help but think about how he'd gotten here and why he'd been suddenly ousted from the First Order.

He seethed with anger at the turn of events. Or course, he was not surprised about General Hux's mutiny, but Kylo Ren had always believed that he could handle whatever the man would throw at him. Maybe he underestimated him, and surely now, in hindsight, it was clear Kylo Ren had even underestimated Snoke.

He had no idea that General Hux and the late Supreme Leader Snoke had exchanged secrets and information that were not within his purview. The idea Snoke would keep things from him was not unusual, but for Hux to also keep that secret beyond Kylo Ren's suspicions seemed less likely. Apparently, he had not given Hux enough credit.

The General had obviously had some training under Snoke to conceal information from him. It was easier for Hux to open himself up to abuse or punishment for his brash and stubborn nature, but Kylo Ren was angry with himself that he never even considered that Hux was capable of concealing something of this scale.

Now General Hux had allied with Snoke's former disciple, and this Lord Aicsss was a formidable Force user of the dark side. Kylo Ren had never given Aicsss much credit after Snoke publicly rejected him as his second in command. Kylo Ren now suspected that Aicsss' rejection was a rouse, and that Snoke had always kept him as a sleeper agent, hidden in case Kylo Ren had failed him. Snoke had always bemoaned that Kylo Ren was too weak, too conflicted and waffled too much between the Light and Dark sides of the Force.

With Aicsss on Hux's side, Kylo Ren could not easily just scorch and burn the First Order now that they've turned against him. Not even with a small group of ragtag rebels could he go against the entire fleet of the First Order and this Lord Aicsss.

Hux presumed that Kylo Ren had never fully earned or deserved the title of Supreme Leader and now this new foe, ally to Snoke, would be more than happy to usurp that title from him.

The only person that Kylo Ren could ally himself and have any chance was Rey. The only downside of relying on Rey was that she would insist on bringing her Resistance friends with her, and make this out to be some sort of uprising for Good and the Balance.

Kylo Ren did not see the merit in allying himself with the Resistance when they had been fractured for several months, and they were still unreliable.

He believed that Rey was more valuable than the cause of the Resistance, another failed notion like it had been before during the time of the Empire. He refused to be caught in this cycle again, the past spiraling back into the present.

If anything, Kylo Ren wanted to convince Rey that all of it needed to end - the First Order and the Resistance, and he still believed he could sway her.

Now with the rise of this Lord Aicsss, he was determined to bring her finally to his side. He was confident that she would join him - moreover, that she would do anything for him if he painted the picture right.

Maybe he could make his cause about Hope. If it was something Rey believed in, she would lend her powers to him readily.

Now, he just needed to ask her to join him again, and this time, he hoped that her answer would be different.


	4. The Temple of Our Fears

**Part Four: The Temple of Our Fears**

Kylo Ren was almost grateful for the unending silence of deep space. He was keeping a low profile, using the Force to sense any nearby First Order ships or anyone that might reveal his location. Luckily enough, he had found a hiding place among a slow-moving asteroid belt in the outer rim territories, consisting of an erratic gravitational pull. This told him that these bundles of rocks had once been a small planet, probably destroyed from the days of his grandfather's reign.

Regardless of the history, the asteroids provided him the cover he needed to have safety and silence, as his next plan was to warn his Knights of Ren of Hux's mutiny and the new implementation of Aicsss as the Supreme Leader despot. He was sure of his Knights' loyalty, and he did not want them to be tortured or abused by Hux and his schemes.

Thankfully, the Knights were scattered throughout the galaxy. He had them set up in different locations to maintain the First Order's rule, as well as gather intel on any Rebel activity. So far he had not heard from any of them in several weeks, which only told him the Rebels, though as weakened as they were, were doing very well as keeping themselves hidden.

He programmed his ship for stealth mode, and he closed his eyes as the dark silence swallowed him. He reached out to them using his Mind, picking up their positions through the endless sea of stars.

At first, it was difficult for him to find his center. His chaotic thoughts and anger about General Hux's betrayal were still eating away at his concentration, forcing him to lose control of his temper. He was so angry that sweat moistened his skin in a permanent cold shean, and he was forcing himself to breathe to keep the intensity of his anger at bay.

Thinking of Rey in her clandestine, peaceful place within the Force lulled some of his darkness and put his thoughts more at ease. He didn't even care where he thought of her, whether it was in the Force or not, just the idea of being close to her enlightened his spirit and warmed his inner self.

Perhaps it was his heart that she had soothed as well, and whatever it was, Kylo Ren held onto it. And… he wanted more of it. He wanted more of Rey and the feel of her power encompassing him. He'd never felt such addictive raw power before, all within the frame of this tiny woman who saw right through him and knew him better than anyone else.

He knew her too. He could see her lifetime, feel her future within his grasp, and he knew he should be a part of her life from this point on.

As he settled into a peaceful state, Kylo Ren released his thoughts of Rey to concentrate at the task at hand. With his mind clear, Kylo Ren beckoned his knights within the Force, getting their attention all at once. When he felt each Knight's attention solely on him, he updated them on what had happened with General Hux.

" _Be on your guard, Knights,"_ he told his most trusted soldiers. " _If he hasn't yet, Hux will give you an ultimatum and use your loyalty to me against you. Do not fall for it, stand your ground, and I will come to you soon to regroup so we can go on the offensive."_

" _Master, what do you plan to do to win against them?"_ one of them asked.

" _I have one last chance to get the scavenger girl on my side. I have made progress. With her power, Hux and Aicsss will not have a chance against us,"_ he said. His Knights did not answer him right away, and the silence almost consumed him.

Finally, one said. _"Understood, sir. We will be on our guard and wait for your next orders."_

" _Very well. I will be in touch, and we will reunite again."_ he said, and then he severed the connection with them, the feeling of their psyches spider-webbed with his was a temporary comfort, but now he was alone and he didn't like the company of his own demons for very long.

He steered his thoughts back to Rey, and focused on another task. He had to reach out to her in the Force like his Knights, only the result would be different. He needed to find out where she really was and see her in person. It was the only way he felt he had leverage to convince her to help him and join his fight against Aicsss.

Quickly, he checked his position outside his ship to make sure he was still hidden and safe from enemies, and then Kylo Ren returned to his thoughts, reaching out to the space where Rey had created for them in the Force - the very place where they had first made love. Once there, Kylo Ren fell into a lull of intense peace as he called out to her.

* * *

The ocean of stars twinkled against the deepest dark, and it was well into the early morning when Rey heard from him again. She was trying to stave off the cold of this planet, cocooning herself within her blankets, wishing she had a warm body to press against and share in their warmth. While she was sure anyone here would welcome her into their bed for warmth, she knew they would expect something more. Well, maybe not General Organa or Rose, but Finn and Poe and even Lieutenant Connix might think her request would have other intentions.

Instead, Rey thought of someone else who she wanted to warm her, and the moment she thought of him, she heard his voice in the void. At first she thought her mind was playing tricks on her, but when she felt his presence in the Force, she knew he was reaching out to her.

" _Rey…we need to meet in your place,"_ Kylo Ren said within their bond.

As soon as she heard his words, she thought of the place and then opened her eyes to see him waiting for her in the peaceful place. She rose from her spot on her usual meditation rock, and they drew closer. He reached out his hands to her and held her arms. She noticed anger and darkness swirling in his eyes. His skin was pale and sweating, and he looked anxious. She could feel a disturbance within him. He frowned at her and furrowed his brow. When he lost himself in a moment of studying her, finally she could feel his softness - but it was only for her.

"What happened? What's wrong with you?" she asked him.

"General Hux betrayed me," he said gruffly. "He enlisted one of Snoke's former students to take my place as Supreme leader. His skill is no where near yours or mine, but he is formidable. I had to escape the Star Destroyer before they killed me."

Rey's eyes widened, but she looked invigorated by his news. "You're… you're on your own? Then you must come to the Resistance! We could use…"

"I will not demean myself and join the rebels," he snarled. "They would kill me or treat me as a criminal. They would waste my time, and I do not believe they have enough strength to even aid me in my fight against Hux and Aicsss."

"Aicsss, is this the new Supreme Leader?" Rey asked when she didn't recognize the name.

"He has not earned the title yet, but he intends to take it from me, which means with my death, he will gain it," Kylo Ren said.

"And you won't even consider joining the Resistance? I mean, your mother…"

"Rey, enough," he said in frustration. "I do not want to deal with any of them. None but you." His touch turned possessive and he pulled her closer against his chest.

"Ben…" Rey said, closing her eyes as she felt his vibration through the Force, tricking her mind and heart that he was here, touching her. She knew that it wasn't the same.

"I have a plan, but I need to tell you in person. I need to see you. I can no longer deal with the limitations of this Force bond. I need you by my side," he said.

"But… you know I have a duty to the Resistance…" she began.

"Do you?" His voice was rising with anger. Why couldn't she see the reality here? By his side was where she belonged. "Do you really believe these foolish rebels stand any chance against the First Order? I know of your small numbers. Though you have most definitely been building yourselves up, you are still small and weak, and it will take years for you to match the power of the First Order, even if they do have your power by their side."

"You say that but… I believe we can win. Everyone's been working so hard, and I've been training to gain strength. We have to win for the sake of the whole galaxy, and we're gaining strength every day," she said.

"Yes, yes, I am sure you have. Belief isn't enough. Do you believe in the Force? What does it tell you, Rey?" he asked her, and she opened her mouth to respond but nothing came out.

Furrowing her brow, Rey searched inside herself for the answers. She had doubts, and though she loved and cherished her friends and their cause, they were seriously lacking in support and manpower, not to mention weapons and connections. The First Order's reach over the galaxy was stifling, and sometimes it felt impossible to her that they could make any difference at all.

"I think you see the truth, Rey," Kylo Ren said. "You belong at my side. You know this deep down to be true. Our fates are entwined."

"Yes, they are," Rey agreed, and she lifted her chin. "You said you had a plan."

He nodded. "I will send you an encrypted communique with the coordinates of our rendezvous. I will expect to see you in 48 standard time hours."

"I need to talk to my friends," Rey said, and she felt worry whirl inside her gut. "They are not going to like this."

"They will get over it when we take down the First Order and they have nothing left to fear," he said resolutely.

"Not even from you, Supreme Leader?" Rey said, challenging him.

He shook his head. "I used to want one thing more than anything. Now that desire has changed."

"What do you want now?" Rey asked, and he pulled her toward him again. He leaned down to her lips and she felt his hot breath. She met his eyes and became bewitched. He must have seen something in her expression to give him permission, and he covered her mouth with his and tasted her like a starving animal. Rey moaned in his mouth, her body electrified by the touch through the Force bond.

"Ben…" she said breathlessly when he pulled away, leaving only a scalding hot tension between them that would not be appeased.

"Look out for the communique," he said, and Rey watched him as he faded from their sacred place, back to wherever he was hiding in the depths of space.

Rey was excited to see him, but she was not looking forward to explaining to the Resistance that she had to leave.

"I can't believe you, Rey! After everything we've been through!" Finn yelled at her as he paced in anger around their outpost.

Poe glared at her darkly, and Rose seemed more shocked by her decision than miffed. General Organa looked worried more than anything, but she stared at Rey already knowing that anything they said would be in vain. Rey was going to leave whether they liked it or not, and they couldn't keep her there.

Plus, they were still gathering allies and supplies. They wouldn't be able to plan an attack on the First Order for some time now. They were still building themselves and taking the necessary precautions. If anything, Rey was sitting idle here. Though she was training by herself, she knew that if she left to be with Ben, she could be more productive in her training. He would teach her, of that she was sure of. However, her friends wouldn't see it that way, and she couldn't blame them. They didn't understand the intimacy she shared with him, and they still saw him as the ruthless Kylo Ren, whether the First Order was under his command or not.

"I'm with Finn on this," Poe said gruffly. "Kylo Ren can't be trusted. Who knows if he's even telling the truth about being betrayed by the First Order? Something doesn't seem right, and this is the oldest trick in the book. He's setting you a trap."

Rey stood her ground, and she turned to Poe and retorted. "Kylo Ren knows that he cannot set a trap for me, not the way we are so entwined in the Force. I would sense his intentions right away. I may be new to mastering the Force, but I know when people lie to me, and this was genuine. He is holding some information back from me, but we can only talk so much within the Force bond."

"Why doesn't he just come here and join us?" Rose asked.

"Believe me, I tried that suggestion," Rey said with a sigh, her voice heavy with hesitation. How did she explain to her friends that Kylo Ren didn't consider them a threat at all? He didn't even consider him worthy of his purview. "He does not believe… you are strong enough to fight against the Order. He does not want to waste time…"

Finn scoffed. "Oh that's rich. He thinks we're a waste of time." He turned to General Organa. "General, please talk some sense into her. We can't lose her help, not when we gained two more civilizations of allies."

Despite Finn's desperate pleas, General Organa said nothing.

Chewbacca roared at them all, and Rey acknowledged. "I'm sorry. I know you want to come with me, but I need to do this alone, and I need you and General Organa to take care of the Millenium Falcon."

Chewbacca huffed a few worried grunts, and Rey smiled at him. "I know you want to protect me, but…"

"He's right, Rey," Finn said. "You're too important to leave us like this and go to Kylo Ren of all people! You know all the pain and suffering he's inflicted! How can we protect you if Poe's right and it is a trap?"

"I don't need your protection!" Rey said, the anger getting the better of her, and in that tense moment, raw Force energy exploded from her and two large storage compartments of tools fell over in a crash. "Sorry. It's just that… If I can convince Ben to come to our side, I might have more hope doing it in person and hearing out his plan."

Finn guffawed. "Ben? Seriously...Rey, you and that guy... there's something more here and you aren't telling us." Rey watched as her friend didn't meet her eyes. He looked hurt and rejected, as if her going to Kylo Ren was a betrayal to their friendship. He would never forgive Kylo Ren or regard him as she did, and Rey would never expect him to, but she needed him to trust her, and his judgement was clouded by his hate and fear for the Supreme Leader.

Rey heaved a sigh as they all looked at her with skepticism and worry. "Look, I'll prove it to you. I'll prove that we can leverage Kylo Ren's help in some way." She turned to General Organa and locked with her gaze. She tried to appeal to the General's motherly side, knowing that she, too, had some hope that they could still reach her son and bring him back to her.

General Organa let out a nod and finally said, "Well, I suppose I should wish you a safe trip. I put my trust in you Rey. No one has ever been successful in appealing to my son to come back from the Dark side. If anyone can do it, then it must be you…"

Rey felt a weight lift off her shoulders as Leia agreed to her plan. She watched the woman with respect and gratitude, but she felt the conflicting energy around her as she thought of her son. Rey could sense hope too, the hope that finally someone could reach her son when she and her husband, and brother, had failed.

She stepped forward and Leia drew her into an embrace. Rey reveled in it, trying to reassure Leia that she would be safe, and her son would be too.

When Leia released her, Rey turned to see Finn waiting for her. He still looked angry, but he wasn't going to let her leave without a hug. Rey was happy that he cared so much, and when she embraced him, Rose and Poe joined them in a group hug as they held her. Then, Chewbacca joined them all last, encasing them into a big warm hairy embrace.

"Please be careful," Finn said against her cheek.

"I will," she said.

"And if you sense a trap at any moment, you come back to us," Poe said, stroking her hair.

"Yes, of course," Rey said.

When Rey made a motion to release from the large hug, everyone reluctantly stepped away and watched her head to the X-wing fighter that she prepped for this mission. Before settling into the cockpit, Rey turned around and looked at all her friends and felt her heart sink as she saw their worried faces.

She smiled at them. "I'm not abandoning you. I promise that I will be back," she said. "Then, we'll be stronger than ever. Trust me."

General Organa nodded while Finn let out a heavy breath. Poe saluted her, and Rose sniffled. Chewbacca made one last noisy plea to go with her.

"I appreciate it," Rey said, tilting her hand. "But I must go alone. You know how he is, and I'm determined to find out what he wants." Chewy looked dejected and let out a small whine that touched her to her core. "It's alright. I will be back. Please, take care of everyone."

Securing her lightsaber, her bag and a few other tools and belongings, Rey settled into the cockpit of her fighter jet. She looked at all of them again before she closed the hatch.

"May the Force be with you," she said, and she was revving up her ship for take off, leaving them behind, she saw the worried looks on their faces. She made a solemn vow to return to them, and to bring back General Organa's son to her no matter what.


End file.
